The Survivalist
by draconianerror
Summary: A young man with a dark past begins to play Sword Art Online hoping to escape depression. However the player accidentally comes across a glitch that allows him to quickly farm XP. Once Kayaba Akihiko realizes there's a glitch he decides to punish the player. The gamer soon looses the ability to use melee weapons and is forced use throwing weapons and wit to survive.
1. Chapter 1

The Survivalist

By Draconianerror

 **Hey guys this Is just a random Idea I had after playing a video game called Let It Die. So basically the main character is going to find a glitch in Aincrad and use it to grind XP/ Farm monsters. Then as a reward for finding a flaw in the game Kayaba Akihiko rewards the player in the form of a blessing and curse.**

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _The year is 2022. Over the past decade Japan has witnessed a massive boon in technology. The video game industry was particularly effective by this next-gen technology. In fact a video game called Sword Art Online was just released today. Beta testers and staff members alike have boasted about its immersive virtual environment. Which, for the first time allows gamers to truly experience virtual reality. The game's servers will come online in twenty minutes. However players can begin to customize their Avatars now-_

With the click of a remote the TV screen flickered out of existence. Now without the noise from the television the living room was completely devoid of sound. Sparing the TV a second glance, the sole occupant of the house exited the living room and entered the bedroom. The dwelling was bare of any decoration. The only furnishings inside where the basic essentials; a bed, dresser and closet. However the person's attention wasn't focused on the meager furniture. No, it was focused on the large box on the floor labeled Nerve Gear. In a slow, almost reverent manner the unnamed person lifted a metal helmet out of the case. Pausing a moment to admire the technology, the individual plugged it into a wall outlet next to the bed before donning the helmet. With the flick of a switch colors erupted into the user's eyes. Soon dots of blue, pink, and yellow appeared before coalescing into text that read.

"Link start?" The unknown person read aloud before being taken to a character customization menu. Soon multiple text boxes appeared, each asking for different information. The operator quickly began to fill out the required personal information. With a scrutinizing gaze the individual re-read the text that was input.

Name: Hayashi Tsuneo

Username: Tsuneo

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Height: 170 cm (5.57 ft)

Weight: 61.24 Kg (135 lbs)

Body Type: Lean

Occupation: College Student

After making sure the information was correct. The now identified Tsuneo clicked the next button. Suddenly the screen in front of the young man began to flash and "Body Scan Complete" appeared overhead. Afterwards a mirror popped up allowing the teen to confirm his appearance. Looking back at him was a boy of medium height with spiky, platinum blonde hair. Lifeless forest green eyes with an apathetic visage face over his body. His sagging shoulders only further served to increase his detached appearance. The male in question was garbed in nothing more than a gray cloth shirt and blue jeans with a simple leather belt. Satisfied with his character Tsuneo clicked 'confirm'. The text ' _Welcome to Sword Art Online!'_ floated overhead before the scenery changed.

Xxxxxxxxx

 **Tsuneo POV**

 _'I hope this game takes my mind off_ _ **that**_ _. I still can't believe they're gone... I feel like my life has no purpose now. Like a leaf drifting in the wind,'_ I lamented thinking about a past event.

After finishing my avatar customization I materialized inside of a plaza. Awe stricken by the environment, I could only stare wide-eyed at my surroundings. Houses made of stone brick and roofs of wood encircled the plaza Cobblestone roads connected each building together, forming a sort of stylistic unity. All in all the landscape looked like a medieval painting, except more vibrant and full of life. Soon enough other people began to materialize around me, and looked around the town in amazement.

Upon asking a few other players some tips, namely about the menu and skill interface, I figured out how to access my inventory. I swept my hand downward and equipped the only weapon I had, a small one handed axe. Tapping the 'equip' button the axe, in a flash of light materialized in my hand. The design was basic but that didn't keep me from admiring it's workmanship. A mahogany handle about 15 inches in length connected a silver crescent shaped axe head. The blade itself was five inches thick and as I lightly ran my finger along the edge I was instantly cut. After taking a few practice swings in the street I felt confident enough to leave the town and begin farming monsters.

As I exited the town I passed two people and overheard them talking about going monster hunting. I was tempted to ask if I could join them. But it was doubtful the black haired boy would let me join, considering the red haired teen to practically beg him. Also ever since **That** happened I've been keeping people at bay, unwilling to get hurt again. _Unwilling to lose someone again._

I ran down the dirt path leading away from town until I found a Boar causally roaming along the path. Looking above the animal I saw a red diamond floating next to a health bar. Identifying that the creature was an enemy I ducked behind a nearby bush and slowly crept over towards my prey. I stealthily crawled forward until I was directly next to the boar. Peering through a gap in the foliage I noticed that the boar had turned in my direction. Realizing my cover may be blown I immediately put my ambush into action. Leaping out of my hiding place, I raised my axe which shone brilliantly as the suns rays reflected off the blade. In one quick, fluid motion I slammed the blade down like a gavel onto the Boar's face. The blade cleaved the beast in two and in an instant it's health dropped to zero. In an explosion of blue lights and pixels the beasts body disappeared leaving a small bag in its wake. However before I could pick up the bag a notification popped up saying that I received 16 XP for killing the monster.

Seeing that pop up I suddenly had the urge to face-palm. How could I forget to check my stats, that's one of the most basic concepts of RPGs. Taking moment to navigate the menu I clicked on the 'Status' tab.

 _Tsuneo_

 _HP: [100/100] (This stat governs your health. Once this bar drops down to zero you die and resurrect at a nearby town.)_

 _HP Regen: [0.1 HP/s] (HP Regen allows you to regenerate health outside of combat.)_

 _MP: [60/100] (This stat allows you to use abilities. However once this bar reaches zero you receive a_ _ **fatigued**_ _status condition, slowing down the rate of MP regeneration. Gain 5 additional MP per level)_

 _MP Regen: [0.5 MP/s] (MP Regen allows you to regenerate MP inside and outside of combat)_

 _Lvl 1_

 _XP: [16/50] (XP is gained by killing monsters. Once the max amount of experience is reached you will gain a level, increasing all stats by one and granting one stat point to allocate.)_

 _STATS_

 _Str: 10_ (Strength increases the damage of physical attacks.)

Vit: 10(Vitality increases HP by 10 per level)

Wis: 10 (Wisdom increases MP by 5 per level)

Skl: 6 (Skill increases the cooldown of abilities and increases weapon critical chance rates)

Lck: -20 (Luck increases the possibility of rare items appearing. If luck is negative then it decreases the chance of rare item drops and increases the chance of negative stat conditions)

Available Stat Points: 0

"What the hell is up with my luck?" I said as I continued to scroll down the page.

 _SKILLS (Keep in mind hidden skills will be added after completing prerequisites. Skills can also become mutated if you complete challenges with them and gain the necessary amount of XP. Skill XP is gained by using that skill. After gaining a lvl skill XP will be reset and the threshold will be increased. Certain Body skills and challenges are unique to each player. These are marked with *)_

 _Body Skills_

 _ **Sprint**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 2/10] A Basic ability that allows for faster movement at the expense of your movement being louder. Uses 1 MP every meter (Lvl Up increases speed and decreases MP drain.)_

 _Sprint Challenges:_

 _Use Sprint 50 times near an enemy without being detected.[0/50] REWARD:?_

 _Use Sprint to escape from 100 enemies.[0/100] REWARD?_

 _ **Sidestep**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 0/50] A basic movement ability that allows the user to dodge attacks. Can attack while sidestepping. Uses 10 MP per sidestep (Lvl Up increases speed of dodge and increases the probability of the enemy overextending after sidestepping)_

 _Sidestep Challenges:_

 _Use sidestep to get behind an enemy and kill them 20 times.[0/20] REWARD?_

 _Use sidestep to get to a higher place 10 times.[0/10] REWARD?_

 _ **Block**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 0/50] The ability to decrease damage taken when blocking with a weapon or shield. (Lvl Up decreases damage taken when blocking and decreases stagger chance.)_

 _Block Challenges:_

 _Block 60 attacks with a weapon.[0/60] REWARD?_

 _Use block to survive serious damage 3 times.[0/3] REWARD?_

 _ **Stealth**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 20/50] The ability to avoid detection. Successful sneak attacks will do bonus damage.(Lvl Up increases sneak attack damage, decreases detection chance and decreases armor noise)_

 _Stealth Challenges:_

 _*Use stealth to kill 50 enemies from above. [0/50] REWARD?_

 _*Use stealth to kill 10 enemies from bushes. [1/10] REWARD?_

 _Weapon Skills_

 _ **Axe Mastery**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 16/100] A skill devoted to the usage of Axes (Lvl increases damage and unlocks skills)_

 _Axe Skills:_

 _?_

 _?_

'The Axe skills leave much to be desired but I am only lvl 1,' I mentally stated as I reached down to grab the small bag before emptying the contents into my hand. Or perhaps I should say content as in singular instead of plural. My total loot was one Cor. "Okay I have no idea how much this equates to. So I'll just settle for being mildly annoyed instead of outright furious," I muttered begrudgingly, as I continued down the dirt path.

Xxxxxx

This day will be know to me as the 'aporkalypse'. Under the beating sun 17 boars were vanquished by my blade. During the slaughter I gained several levels but the notifications and stat increases were ignored in favor of hunting monsters. Currently my attention was split between observing my surroundings and following the hoof-prints of three runaway boars.

For the last two hours I had been tracking the renegade boars through a forest. The forest's thick underbrush prevented me from spotting the beasts; so I had to rely on only my sense of sound and the hoof-prints for guidance.

Despite the greenery blocking the heat emitting rays of sunlight, I still felt hot, sweaty, and irritated from trekking through the forest. Every three steps I took resulted in my getting whipped in the face by a stray branch or random vine. I carefully moved the branches in front of me, hoping to minimize any tree related injury. I released the branch after moving past it only to get whacked by another. "Thwack," a random branched coughed out as it impacted the back of my head. '"I swear I'm going to castrate these pigs once I find them," I sputtered out in a mixture of anger and embarrassment from being harassed by nature. However before my anger could boil over I discovered that the boar's prints lead to a strange hole in the ground.

Upon approach several alarms went off in my mind. The hole was a perfect circle that spanned about four feet in diameter. Stepping closer I stared down into the hole which was actually no more than 12 feet deep at the very bottom was a faint pale blue glow. I also noticed several rectangular extrusions which appeared to serve as a pseudo ladder. Gripping the ledges I descended down into the dark abyss intent on turning my luck around by killing those boars. Midway down one of the rungs gave out under me and I felt a sudden weightlessness before gravity took hold. The last thing I remember was an auric blue wisp emitting from my body before as I tumbling to the ground.

Xxxxxxxx

Laying prone on the ground I groggily awoke to a notification chiming "Congratulations for being the first person to entering floor five! You are now in the Desert of Despair." Startled I immediately opened my eyes and examined the surrounding landscape. Sand covered the landscape for miles and miles. As far as the eye can see golden grains blanketed the ground and created dunes of various sizes.

Rising to my feet the earth violently began to shake. I was barely able to sidestep as a gigantic worm erupted from the ground intent on devouring me. The beast in question had a pale yellow body with a diameter of five feet and a length of around twenty feet. Razor sharp fangs shone in the sun as the worm opened its cavernous mouth. Teeth dripped with saliva in anticipation of its kill. Four red eyes peered down at me, recognizing an easy meal. Staring at the beast a health gauge materialized above it, and I could only gawk at the insects stats.

'It's a level 18 Dune Shifter! And its health bar is huge!' I thought in fear and confusion. 'This is probably a glitch in the game. There's no way I'll be able to kill this'. The monstrous creature slowly crept towards me, making it's intentions known. Thinking fast I equipped my axe and pointed it at my foe, however I knew my tiny weapon wouldn't do much against the grotesque creature. Roaring at me, the worm sprang forward entrapping me in its mouth as it sank back into the ground.

"Shit shit shit" I muttered as two of its fangs slashed my back as I entered it's mouth, causing my to drop my axe into the dark pit. Completely powerless I fell deeper into its mouth. For seemingly an eternity I fell, until, with a wet plop I landed in the monsters stomach. Looking around I noticed the stomach's walls slowly clenching, drawing nearer to me. Standing in a knee high vat of stomach acid I noticed my health slowly ticking down. HP:[70/160] Realizing my impending doom I began groping through the liquid for my axe. Finding it, I started slashing at the fleshy walls. However in doing so the walls began to constrict faster and everything around me began to shake. Seeing that I would get crushed before I could cut my way out I swiped my hand down and accessed my stat menu.

 _Tsuneo_

 _HP: [65/150]_

 _HP Regen: [0.1 HP/s]_

 _MP: [125/125]_

 _MP Regen: [0.5 MP/s]_

 _Lvl 6_

 _XP: [6/200]_

 _STATS_

 _Str: 15 (Strength increases the damage of physical attacks)_

Vit: 15(Vitality increases HP and passive HP Regen)

Wis: 15 (Wisdom increases MP and MP Regen)

Skl: 11 (Skill increases the cooldown of abilities and increases weapon critical chance rates)

Lck: -15

Available Stat Points: 5

I dumped all five stat points into strength because If I don't escape in the next few minutes I'll be worm chow. After raising my strength stat to 20 with renewed vigor I hacked and slashed at the stomach lining. As I continued cutting into the walls more stomach acid came rushing in. Soon the dangerous liquid was waist high then chest high and still rising. "WARNING LOW HP" the system alerted me checking my health I redoubled my escape attempt. HP: [20/150]! In an explosion of blue pixels the stomach wall burst open. The worm began to erratically thrash around and I was launched through the hole.

Landing on my back I watched the worm continue to spasm until it fell limp to the ground. In a mixture of morbid fascination and pride I walked over towards the downed insect. After only moving two steps the presumed dead worm lunged at me again.

I withdrew my axe and swung at my aggressor The slime from the stomachs innards made the axe's handle extremely slippery so I ended up accidentally throwing my weapon as I slashed at the creature. I could only watch as my only form of protection awkwardly wobbled through the air.

Luckily enough the axe embedded itself in one of the worms eyes. "SCREEECH" It squealed out in agony as the finishing blow landed. After yet another sequence of spasms the fiend suddenly collapsed on the ground, having exhausted all its energy. I waited for the worm to erupt into familiar blue pixels before making my way over to the loot.

[Gained 1500 XP for killing a Dune Shifter]

[lvl Up]

[lvl Up]

[lvl Up]

[lvl Up]

[lvl Up]

Slack jawed I watched my notification bar fill with level up notifications. That single kill brought me from level 6 all the way up to level 11. Clearing my the notification bar I picked up a small bag where the worm died at. Emptying the contents I found that I gained a bottle of toxic acid and 20 Cor. Satisfied with my progress in the game I decided to log out. To log out.

'Wait where is the logout button?' It should be here I rationalized. Ominously the sky began to change fom a bright blue to a blood red. Besides the sky changing I was given no other indication that something was wrong in the game. Unexpectedly a faceless man garbed in a red robe apparited into the air above me.

"Oh what's this? Did you find a glitch in the system?" The being asked me curious

"Yes that's how I ended up here. And where is the logout button? I can't find it anywhere." I replied hoping to get some answers.

"Oh that's how I intended to make the game. It is impossible for you to logout and if anyone from the outside world attempts to remove the nervegear your brain will be fried." The person paused in order to show me news feeds of people died after having the accursed helmet removed. "As you can see the threat is very real. The only way for you to escape is to clear all 100 floors. Now since you managed to find this glitch I suppose a reward is in order"

The way he said 'Reward' set off alarms in my head. But I wasn't given a chance to voice my unease.

"I will grant you the ability to equip up to ten weapons at a time" Already the deal seemed almost to good to be true " However you are banned from using conventional weapons in melee combat and to block with. I'll also be sending you straight back to floor one with the other players. Have fun!"

With that his hand shot forward launching a yellow beam of light at me. Given no time to avoid it the light, It struck me head. The beam enveloped me in a cloak of light and I soon realized my body was disappearing. Within seconds I blinked out of existence.

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Hey so I've never actually written a story with elements from The Gamer before. So I have a question for my readers. Should I type in an updated stat and inventory list at the end of each chapter? Or should I update the stat/ inventory list at the beginning of the next chapter?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Naruto x Hinita: I'm only using the basic gamer mechanics in the story. I've only ever watched the anime so not everything in this story will be 100% accurate according to the games, light novel or manga. Also to me having an MP gauge instead of a cool down makes more sense because If all the abilities have cool downs then Tsuneo could theoretically just camp on top of something. I do agree about the edgy summary lol.**

 **Guest: Hehe maybe. You'll have to read to find out :)**

Xxxxxxxxxx

I cringed in pain from the light beam. Every inch of my being felt like it was on fire after being teleported away. Re-materializing in the air I could only stare downwards. Wide-eyed I immediately realized how cartoon characters feel as they fall to their doom.

'Aw crap' were the words that entered my mind as I hurtled towards a field of grass. Leading in a heap of limbs I massaged my agony filled body hoping to quell the pain. "Pain? Wait! What if that guy was telling the truth about dying in real life" I muttered as I pushed myself from the ground. Continuing that train of thought, I promptly blanched, mentally reviewing my fight against that Dune Shifter. How I almost met my demise after only a few hours into the game. My death. Death.

'NO! I can't get killed here, I have to live. If not for myself then for **them** ' I somberly resolved. Accessing the menu my mini map flashed to life. Checking the area I immediately realized I was on floor 1 again. " _The only way for you to escape is to clear all 100 floors._ " His words echoed in my mind. Having an objective I began to run across the grass planes searching for a target.

'There!' I mentally yelled out spotting a crowd enemies blocking my path. The creatures were humanoid in appearance, with the exception of them being impish in size. At height of 4 feet, the beings resembled goblins from fantasy games. Each of the creatures were armed with a 8 inch dagger in each hand which violently glared at me in the sun. The little critters had sickly green skin and stained yellow teeth which protruded from their mouths. Three of the vermin wore rusted brass chest plates and cloth wrappings around their wastes, preserving what little modesty they had. However the fourth was noticeably different. With a dull golden crown adorning his head I identified him as the leader. Unlike his subordinates the leader of the troop was wreathed in a full body suit of steel, leaving only his face uncovered. The shiny metal armor was complete with a set of gauntlets and greaves, clanking in rhyme with every step the fiend took. Looking above their heads to check their stats I planned out my attack.

 _Lvl 6 Goblin King_

 _Lvl 5 Goblin_

 _Lvl 5 Goblin_

 _Lvl 5 Goblin_

'Okay. So in every war or battle once a commander dies his troops morale fades. That same logic should apply here'. Sprinting towards the goblins I made a beeline for their leader, putting my battle strategy to action. One of the basic goblins pointed at me but it was to late. Within slashing range, my blade rose into the air preparing to bite into the commander's neck. However an invisible hand gripped my body preventing my from savoring an easy kill.

 **"Melee attacks are prohibited with conventional weapons. Please attack with something else"** My notification bar helpfully chimed out.

" !" The Goblin King said while slicing at me.

Unable to dodge the counter attack, The strike connected dealing 20 damage. Soon enough I was surrounded by the three other goblins. In a storm of wild slashes, vicious stabs, and forceful blows my health slowly dropped. 'Why the hell can't I attack?!' I ranted powerless to retaliate.

 _5 damage_

 _20 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _20 damage_

 _5 damage_

 _5 damage_

Noticing a slight pause in the barrage I was able to sidestep away from them. With no means of attacking I sprinted away hoping to escape. The goblins, however gave chase intent on cutting me down. Thankfully I was slightly faster than my aggressors and because of that I managed to temporarily lose them in a nearby forest.

Having managed to escape, the first thing on my mind was finding a place to hide so I could figure out what's wrong with the combat system. Spotting tree with a thick layer of leaves and branches a few feet above my head I nimbly grabbed onto the branch before pulling myself up. The adjacent leafy branches hid me from view as trembling fingers scrolled down the status menu.

 _Tsuneo_

 _HP: [100/200]_

 _HP Regen: [0.1 HP/s]_

 _MP: [89/150]_

 _MP Regen: [0.5 MP/s]_

 _Lvl 11_

 _XP: [106/500]_

 _STATS_

 _Str: 25_ (Strength increases the damage of physical attacks.)

Vit: 20 (Vitality increases HP by 10 per level)

Wis: 20 (Wisdom increases MP by 5 per level)

Skl: 19 (Skill increases the cool down of abilities and increases weapon critical chance rates)

Lck: -10 (Luck increases the possibility of rare items appearing. If luck is negative then it decreases the chance of rare item drops and increases the chance of negative stat conditions)

Available Stat Points: 5

 _SKILLS_

 _Body Skills_

 _ **Sprint**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 4/10] A Basic ability that allows for faster movement at the expense of your movement being louder. Uses 1 MP every meter (Lvl Up increases speed and decreases MP drain.)_

 _Sprint Challenges:_

 _Use Sprint 50 times near an enemy without being detected.[0/50] REWARD:?_

 _Use Sprint to escape from 100 enemies.[0/100] REWARD?_

 _ **Sidestep**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 20/50] A basic movement ability that allows the user to dodge attacks. Can attack while sidestepping. Uses 10 MP per sidestep (Lvl Up increases speed of dodge and increases the probability of the enemy overextending after sidestepping)_

 _Sidestep Challenges:_

 _Use sidestep to get behind an enemy and kill them 20 times.[0/20] REWARD?_

 _Use sidestep to get to a higher place 10 times.[0/10] REWARD?_

 _ **Stealth**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 30/50] The ability to avoid detection. Successful sneak attacks will do bonus damage.(Lvl Up increases sneak attack damage, decreases detection chance and decreases armor noise)_

 _Stealth Challenges:_

 _*Use stealth to kill 50 enemies from above. [0/50] REWARD?_

 _*Use stealth to kill 10 enemies from bushes. [1/10] REWARD?_

 _Weapon Skills_

 _ ***Survivalist**_ _Lvl MAX: A special skill which grants the player the ability to equip a maximum of 10 weapons on their person at once. However this skill bans players from attacking and defending with conventional melee weapons._

 _ ***Throwing Axe Mastery**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 0/100] A skill devoted to the usage of Throwing Axes (Lvl increases damage and unlocks skills)_

 _Throwing Axe Skills:_

 _ **Power Throw**_ _Lvl 1: [XP 0/100] Using maximum strength the user hurls their Axe_ _at an enemy doing more damage than a regular throw. Uses 30 MP. (Lvl decreases MP cost)_

"Bans player from attacking and defending with conventional melee weapons! And what happened to my blocking skill?" I parroted aloud. Fearing for my sanity I reread the stats again. And again, hoping to find some deception in the text. That this all might be fake. But alas the curtain of ignorance was lifted off my head, I realizing that this was all real. Sighing I put two stat points into wisdom, two into skill and one into strength. Since all my damage will be from throwing weapons I needed to increase my MP and Critical Chance so I could spam skills and hopefully useless weapons in a fight. With that plan in mind I allocated two stat points into skill, two points into wisdom, and the last point into strength.

Before I could ponder my current situation any further a chorus of childlike screeches accompanied by the clanking of metal was heard in the distance. The racket grew closer and closer causing my chest rate to. "Where. Is. That. Human?" A familiar creature grunted out. My heart sank as I peered down onto the forest floor.

Not only had the four menaces manage to track me, they somehow gathered three more common goblins. "There! There!" One of the creatures shouted pointing up towards me. Moments later the horde completely surrounded the tree. However each of their attempts to climb up failed miserably. After each trial the group comically landed on their butts as they fell from the wide tree trunk. In agitation the leader barked out commands in a foreign tongue. Suddenly five of the normal goblins assembled, like a firing squad and angry stared me down. My eyes drifted towards the other normal goblin and I noticed it reaching into a crevice in a nearby tree only to pull out a worn leather bag. Rushing back over to its companions the creature began handing out the bag's contents.

"Oh shit I'm screwed" I whispered horrified. Inside of the bag was a pile of their daggers. From my vantage point I was able to count out at least twenty. Making their plan obvious the creatures took several knives in each hand and aimed at me.

"Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack" The tree groaned out as It was impaled by the bladed weapons. The creatures were as accurate as they were tall with all six knives missing me. There was a slight lull in their onslaught as they drew more weapons, giving me the time to take some of the weapons around me. Upon stashing six of their weapons in my pockets I got another status notification.

 _Weapon Skills_

 _(NEW)_ _ **Throwing Knife Mastery**_ _lvl 1: [XP 0/100] A skill devoted to the usage of throwing knives. (lvl increases damage and unlocks skills)_

 _Throwing Knife Skills:_

 _ **Knife Volley**_ _lvl 1: [XP 0/100] The user takes three knives in one hand and throws them at an enemy. Uses 50 MP. Accuracy decreases at further ranges. (lvl increases accuracy and decreases MP cost)_

Thwack. A familiar sound alerted me that my oppressors had re-armed and resumed their assault. I felt several knives slash into my body but thankfully they only left shallow cuts. My HP only dropped ten points from the ineffective attack. [HP: 90/200]

However as the goblins started to become more accurate I realized I had to do something. Leaping from the tree I sped off into the forest. Overcoming their shock the creatures quickly gave chase. 'Damn it If I stop to throw knives they'll catch up to me. But if I don't they'll eventually overtake me once I run out of MP' I ranted as I noticed my MP gauge at [92/160]. Soon enough I found an answer to my predicament.

Sprinting past several trees, I made sure I was out of sight before jumping into a nearby bush. Re-equipping my axe I lied in wait. Moments later the goblins rushed passed me like mad men. Passing the bush I immediately took am as their backs were facing me. Eyeballing the distance I bought my right arm back.

The axe head shone an orange color as it was raised skyward, signifying my Power Throw activating. Like a slingshot my arm snapped forward sending the weapon hurtling towards the goblin's leader. The axe found itself sheathed in the back of the leaders skull. The dead goblin unceremoniously fell to the ground with a thud before dissipating in a storm of blue pixels. "45 XP gained", the notification bar chimed off at my achievement.

Hearing something drop to the ground the other goblins immediately turned around. "NOO! Leader! URAAH!" The creatures shouted out enraged at their king's death. In a whirlwind of fury the creature's sped to their leader's killer.

Seeing there charge I drew three knives into my right hand. The daggers shone orange as I activated my Knife Volley skill. Pulling my arm back I stood in a throwing position waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Soon enough the blades were released into the air. Without looking back I ran in the other direction hoping to escape.

"30 XP gained"

"30 XP gained"

Peering over my shoulder I spotted two goblins drop to the ground with a knife in each their chests. However the third knife abandoned its brethren as it flew harmlessly into the distance. "MP Low!" The status bar rung aloud. Surely enough my MP gauge was at [10/160].

"Oh shit! Oh shit!" I chanted in hysteria as the four remaining goblins drew nearer. As I continued my mantra I spun around looking for some kind of solution. However the only thing around me was a lake of trees and two tall large square shaped boulders parallel to each other. But they were to tall to pull myself onto and there weren't any crevices to use as footholds. Then as if struck by lightning I suddenly had an epiphany.

 _'Use sidestep to get to a higher place 10 times.'_ I thought remembering one of the sidestep challenges. But I had no time to wonder if my idea would work because in a few seconds the goblins would be right on top of me. Acting fast I quickly moved over towards the odd pair of rocks. Standing between the two I saw that the four goblins were mere meters away.

With a mixture of hope and despair I put my plan into action. Leaping at the rock on my left, my feet just barely touched the halfway point before gravity began to pull me down. Twisting my body I internally yelled 'SIDESTEP'. This action caused my to rebound off the rock and slam my torso onto the top of the second one. Hearing an uproar under me I swiftly heaved myself on top of the second rock. Lying on my back I began to psychotically laugh out as I once again evaded death. I spent the next twenty minutes prone on the rock allowing my HP and MP to regenerate as the goblins stared at me from below.

The sun was beginning to set and I had no desire to camp out in the wilderness so I decided to eliminate my problem. I prepare another knife volley and slowly crawled over to the edge of my rock. Peering down I noticed all four goblins sitting in a circle at the base of the boulder. Smirking sadistically all three of my knives soon found themselves a new home. Each of the blades were buried hilt deep inside of a goblins skull. The sole survivor stared up at me in panic incredulous that his comrades were instantly killed. Reaching into my pocket I began to pull out my last knife only to find that I was out!

"Okay this isn't so bad. It can't get up here so I'll just wait it out" I thought before going to sleep intent on passing the time.

Xxxxxxx

When I woke I expected the goblin to have left dejected at its failed attempts to kill me. Nothing prepare my for the sight that would greet me. Flanking my platform on all four sides were long wooden spears planted into the ground. If I jumped down I would instantly get impaled by at least five spears. My only means of escape would be to leap over to the other rock and jump off the back side (there aren't any spears behind the other rock). However before I could even attempt to move I heard an ominously slow clanking sound. The suspense nearly caused my heart to stop as the clanking got louder and closer. Then I saw something pull itself onto the other rock. Paralyzed by fear I could only stare in horror as crazed eyes met my frightened orbs.

"he he he. SUPRISE!" The sole surviving goblin screamed out as it jumped at me. Landing on my rock It slowly advanced towards me. I slowly shuffled backwards until I was a few feet from teetering off edge of the rock. It suddenly tackled me to the face of the boulder. With a knife in each hand it drove both blades down at my eyes. Thankfully I managed to catch it's wrists before it had the chance to gouge my eyes out. We spent what seemingly an eternity on the ground fighting for control over the weapon. The contest of strength was even at first but I soon realized that the creature had more energy and stamina than me. Arms began to shake as the goblin pushed the blades downward ignoring my resistance. I only had one option left. I swiftly brought my knees up and rested them on the creatures chest, leaving it confused. Capitalizing on its confusion I rolled backward before pushing my legs forward. This action caused the monster to drop both weapons. Like a bucking bronco the goblin was ejected off of me and flew from the rock.

"Splurch" Several spears coughed out as they were coated in a layer of green blood. Looking from my platform I spotted the goblin trying to pull a spear out of its abdomen. Unable to escape it's spiky prison the light soon faded from its eyes before erupting in blue dots and pixels.

30 XP gained

Special skill created!

Surprise that I unlocked a special skill I immediately checked It out.

 _Body Skills_

 _(NEW)_ _ **Disarm**_ _lvl 1 [XP: 30/100] This skill allows the user to, when unarmed to steal their attacker's weapon. This skill can be transitioned into an attack after a successful Disarm (lvl increases Disarm chance and adds special perks)._

Leaping over to the other rock I looked over the side of it and found knives embedded into the rocky wall forming pseudo ladder. Jumping down I pluncked five knives off the rock before happily scavenging the forest. Yes despite almost dying I was happy. I unlocked a useful skill, gained some XP, figured out how my combat system worked, and once I finished scavenging I would have a nice supply of throwing knives.

After 20 minutes of searching I finally found the place where the goblin king died. Spotting my axe I picked it up before grabbing the goblins loot. Taking all the loot from my kills I did inventory on my spoils of war. "Okay I now have: 32 throwing knives, 9 disease infested goblin teeth, and 30 Cor" I counted out as I began walk back to town.

 **xxxxxxxxx**

 **The whole MP gauge thing will be explained next chapter. However know this only Tsuneo has an MP gauge. Everybody else has normal weapon cool downs.**


End file.
